INEC's Adeyemi-Showunmi Redeployed Amid Neutrality Concerns

In recent changes at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was redeployed from her position as Administrative Secretary of the commission’s Lagos State office to become the Director of Electoral Operations. She is married to Segun Showunmi, a spokesman for the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.

Additionally, Prof. Mustapha Aliu, identified as the elder brother of Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been nominated as an INEC commissioner. The Electoral Operations Department, which Adeyemi-Showunmi now leads, is crucial for election planning and implementation.

Concerns have been raised regarding her proximity to a political figure and the implications for INEC's neutrality. Former INEC director Mr Nick Dazang expressed doubts about the ability of such officials to maintain impartiality, suggesting that Adeyemi-Showunmi should recuse herself to uphold the commission's principles of neutrality.